Many studies have shown that the role of parents during education is extremely important. Children who had support from their parents during schooling show a higher level of knowledge, greater success, and increased confidence than children who didn’t have this type of support.
While parental support at school is quite limited, the support parents can provide at home, especially if the child is struggling to do homework, plays a very important role in the child’s growth and further success. Parents are not only mentors to their children but also role models that children look up to the most.
For this reason, the next time you do homework with your child, apply some of the tips below and you will notice a marked improvement in your child:
Set up a homework-friendly area
If a child is doing homework in a distracting environment (dark, airless, and noisy) there is a high probability that he will get tired quickly, lose concentration and give up homework. Therefore, try to create an ideal workspace that will motivate children and provide them with the necessary conditions for focus and concentration. Choose the least noisy part, freshest area of the home (clean air is extremely important for the brain), that has enough light (ideally it would be near the window), and doesn’t have too many distractions around (TV, toys, snacks). Prepare the workspace by providing the child with a smart board, sticky notes, and papers on which they can write down various notes, tables, or reminders that can make their work easier.
Help your child manage their time
While some kids prefer to finish their homework right away after school, others are more likely to take a break and do their homework just before dinner. Choose the ideal time of the day for doing homework and stick to it. You as a parent must be available at that time in case the child needs help or encouragement at the very beginning of adopting this habit. Don’t forget to give your child short breaks for relaxing, snacks, or other treats with which you will reward them for their effort, but also strengthen their brain for further work.
Support and praise even the smallest success
, parental support is extremely important as it can significantly increase cognitive development, self confidence and motivation s. Besides reminding children to do their homework, try to be interested in the tasks they are doing, and the ideas they show throughout this process. Discuss the assigned topics with the child, support and praise them when they finish them as well. Ask your children if they need any help and if they understand the material, or how they plan to do the next task. Say out loud how proud and happy you are and what great progress they are achievingSet a good example for your child
Kids are more likely to follow their parents’ examples than their advice. Avoid criticising the teacher and the difficulty of the tasks they have set in front of your child. Instead, talk about how it’s a great challenge that you’ll accomplish together. In your free time, avoid lounging in front of the TV or on the phone, but rather read, write, and devote yourself to a hobby that involves certain homework tasks. When you work together on your homework, everything will be easier, and progress will be an additional motivation for the success you will strive for .
Understand & adapt homework to the child’s learning style
It is very important to know that not all children have the same learning style. While some children are better at remembering what they hear (known as auditory types), other children are naturally better at remembering things they see (visual types), or even touch (tactile type). By finding the best learning style and stimulating all the senses, children obtain new knowledge more easily, learning becomes a fun and enjoyable experience for them and they easily develop work habits and practical skills.
That’s why we at ABKA havea special BrainOBrain program within which we pay special attention to the visual-auditory-kinesthetic (VAK) method that gives every child the opportunity to receive knowledge in a way that suits him the best.
Sound interesting? Check the program in the link to find out more about it.